Excavator



Jan. 22, 1924.

G.H.GREMANN EXCAVATOR Filed Nov.

Patented Jan. 22, 19211,

srnrssrarENr orrics,

GEORG-E H.

EXCAVATOKR.

Application filed November 5, 1920. Serial No. 421,898.

T all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, Geenen H. GnnrMANN,

` a citizen of the United States, residing at Garner, in the county ofHancock and State of lfowa, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements; in Excavators;

and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make vand use the same.

My present invention relates to excavators of the type that areespecially adapted for y digging, for example, drainage trenches orditches in which to lay sewer, drain or other pipes, and generallystated, the invention consists of the novel construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims. ve v In a sense, the present invention is inthe natureof, an improvementonvthe machine disclosed Aand claimed in my prior Patent-:,f'j:1,287,675, of date December 17, 1918, entitled llxcavatorf7Primarily, the present invention is directed to improvements in theendless excavating mechanismV and is directed particularly to animproved arrangement of excavawith's'ome parts in diagram and with someAparts sectioned, illustrating my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating the novel action of one of thepolygonal wheels on an 'excavating spade that is approximately inposition to drop its load; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective illustrating the manner in which the spades areconnected to the chain or endless carrier.

In Fig. l, the invention is illustrated as incorporated in aself-propelled excavator,

the parts of which may be briefly noted asv follows: The numeral 4indicates a truck frame supported by front wheels 5 and by rear wheels6, over which tread chains 7 are arranged to run. Through suitablemechanism, not necessary here to consider, kthe wheels V6 are drivenfrom an engine 8 carried by the truck L1-. The numeral 9 indicates atransversely movable conveyor belt, which runsy over suitable rollersdriven from the engine8 and adapted to deliver dirt at one side of theexcavator in a well known manner. The numerals 10 and 11 indicateupeanrnrnnn, or enanas, iowa, nssre'nosiro GREIMANN erronea coin.

rniw, or Geenen, iowa, A conronarron or IOWA.

right columns rigidly secured on and car- V ried bythe frame l andbetween which, as

shown, the conveyor belt 9 is arranged t0 work. Y

The numeral 12 indicates a vertically adjustable boom, which, at itsfront end, is piv- .oted on a transverse shaft 13 journaled in rsuitablebearings on a trussed rearwardly projected boom-supporting frame 141that is rigidly secured on the main frame 4. The shaft 13 carriesa largesprocket or chain of the wheell and a small polygonal wheel 16. Asimilar polygonal wheel 17 is journaled to the free rear end o-f theboom 12. A sprocket or link chain 18 runs over the two polygonal wheels16 and 17. Said wheels 16 and 17, asl shown,y are hexagonal.

For raising and ylowering the boom 12, a cable 19 is attached theretoand extended over a guide sheave 20 onthe frame 14 and is attached to asuitable windlass indicated as an entiretyby the numeral 21. Forrotating the sprocket or chain wheel 15, a chain or belt 22 is runthereover and this chain or belt Vis driven from the engine through-anysuitable transmission mechanism indicated as an entirety by the numeral23 and not necessary for the purposes of this case to further consider.The sprocket chain or link belt 18 carries a plurality of curved spades2a formed byrflat sheet metal bent into segmentalform- VThese spades arerigidly secured tothe flanged outer ends of arms 25.

Said arms 25, at their inner ends, are bifurcated or forked and theirprongs are formed integrally with or otherwise rigidly secured tolaterally spaced link-forming elements 26, which latter are incorporatedas certain of the links of the chain or belt 18. The linkformingelements 26 are adapted to be readily coupled to the standard links ofthe chain by coupling pins 27 that are held in place by cotters 28passed through perforations in the ends of said chains and held betweenguard ribs 29 on the outer surfaces of saidlink- Q meines formingelements 26. rlhe pins 2"?, at one end, (see particularly F ig. 2), haveflattened heads 2Ta that are held between the adjacent ribs 29. Theseribs 29 also kperform the additional rfunction of preventing rota tionor oscillation of the pins in respect to the link elements 26, and,hence, cause the wear to take place between the pins and the standardlinks oi the chain andthus save the link elements 26 from wear.` rllhisis important because said elements 26 are a part of the cast arm 25,thereplacement of which would be expensive.

il sharp edged tempered cutting blade is bolted, riveted or otherwiserigidly secured to the iront edge olf each Spade and to the ilangedouter end of the spade-supporting arm. This cutting blade 30, at itsends, projects slightly beyond the sides of the `s ade and the shari'trent edGe is cut on the line of la circle so thatthe central portionthereof will move in advance o the end portions in the excavatingaction. -This is important because, in the lirst place, it

will cause roots andthe like to work oli' at l the ends ol the cuttingblade and, in the second place, will cut a ditch with a slightly roundedbottoni or that is lower at its central portionlthan at its sides. t isnow important lto note that each blade-supporting arm projects outwardfrom the rear ends ol the link-'forming elements 26 and that thespaderprojects rearward from said rarmv 25, directions-beingtaken inrespect to the direction of travel of the chain 18,"in the excavatingaction. Thisfforward projection of the link-forming elements 26, fromthe spade-carrying arm 25, alioids means lvfor attaching-said linkelements into the chain at a point in advance ofithe cutting edge `ofthe blade 3() and gives a good leverage resistance in'the chain to thereaction from the cutting force.

Another important result is this: J ust be- -ore a particular"spadereaches a posit-ion or dumping its l ad, (see Fig. one of the salient orprojecting angles ot the wheel 16 strikes the rear portions oll the linkelements 2G, there-by producing a -sort ot a rapping action and outwardmovement of the arm 25 and spade 2l., which serves to loosen the :dirtor load from the spade so that it will more readily subsequentlydisch-arge the load; and moreover, under continued upward movement, thespade and especially its rear portion will be thrown radially outward orfarther away from't-he-vaxis ol Vthe shaft 13 so that the discharge o'l'the load from movements the spade `will be made an easier -matter andthe spade will more readily throw its load :liornvard onto thetransverse conveyor belt 9.

rhe excavating blades 2G are herein designated as cspades because theyhave much the laction of a spade, in that they cut the dirt loose andthen scrape as well as carry Vthe load to the point of discharge. As thements incorporated as links'in said belt, and

excavating spades or blades rigidly secured to the outer ends or' saidarms. y

2. ln an excavator, the combination with a link belt of thesprocket'chain type, of polygon-al driving and guiding wheels over whichsaid belt runs, outstanding arms -having bilurcated inner ends 'formedwith integral laterally spaced link-forming elements ii'icorporated aslin-ks in said belt, and excavating spades or bla tothe/ou er ends ofsaid arms, said spades being curved on lines that are approximatelyconcentric vvto vthe axis of said wheels, in the movements of -saidY'blades laround said wheels. v

3. lnan excavator', thevco'mbinaticn with a .link belt 'ot the sprocketchain type, of polygonal driving and guiding wheels over which saidbeltruns, outstanding arms hav ing biturcated inner ends termed withintegral laterally 'spaced link-forming elements incorporated as links insaid belt, and

excavating saades oriblades rieidl f secured to the outer endsbtsaitlarms, said spades being curved on lines'that are 'approximatelyconcentric'to the axis oi'said wheels, inthe ol `said blades around saidwheels, and the iront cutting edges osaid `Spades being yconvexly curvedand wider than the-body port-ions thereof.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signatureH GEORGE n. Giesemann.

des rigidly secured ico

